battle

1 a forceful effort to reach a goal or objective passing the driving test was an uphill battle, but she finally succeeded Synonyms struggle, fight, fray, scrabble, throesRelated Words effort, exertion, labor, pains, trouble, work; drudgery, grind, sweat, toil, travail; combat, conflict, contest, strife, tussle, war, warfare; attempt, endeavor, essay, try

2 a physical dispute between opposing individuals or groups a battle between rival gangs left two people lying dead on the street Synonyms fight, clash, combat, conflict, contest, dustup, fracas, fray, hassle, scrap, scrimmage, scrum, scuffle, skirmish, struggle, tussleRelated Words pitched battle, rough-and-tumble; affray [chiefly British], battle royal, brawl, broil, donnybrook, free-for-all, melee (also mêlée), mix-up, ruckus, ruction; blows, fistfight, fisticuffs, grapple, handgrips, punch-out, punch-up [chiefly British], slugfest; confrontation, duel, face-off, joust; altercation, argle-bargle [chiefly British], argument, argy-bargy [chiefly British], contretemps, controversy, cross fire, disagreement, dispute, falling-out, kickup, misunderstanding, quarrel, row, spat, squabble, tangle, tiff, wrangle; catfightNear Antonyms truce

3 active fighting during the course of a war soldiers who desperately wanted to forget the horrors that they had witnessed in battle Synonyms action, combat, fieldRelated Words attack, fire, firefight, pitched battle, single combat; hostilities, operations, warfare; duty, service

4 an earnest effort for superiority or victory over another the chess game was a real battle between two of the world's best players Synonyms ball game, contest, combat, competition, conflict, confrontation, contention, dogfight, duel, face-off, grapple, match, rivalry, strife, struggle, sweepstakes (also sweep-stake), tug-of-war, war, warfareRelated Words horse race, nail-biter; showdown; clash, collision, discord, friction; argument, controversy, debate, disagreement, disputation, dispute, dissension (also dissention), quarrel, row, wrangleNear Antonyms concord, harmony, peace

1 to engage in a contest the two teams, which have long been archrivals, will battle on the court for the state championship Synonyms compete, contend, face off, fight, race, rival, vieRelated Words challenge, engage, play; jockey, jostle, maneuver; go out, try out; train, work

2 to enter into contest or conflict with the two top-seeded tennis players battled each other for almost three hours Synonyms engage, encounter, face, meet, take onRelated Words emulate, rival; contend, fight, opposeNear Antonyms elude, escape, evade; retreat

3 to oppose (someone) in physical conflict Andrew Jackson first gained fame as a military commander battling the Creek Indians during the War of 1812 Synonyms fight, clash (with), combat, scrimmage (with), skirmish (with), war (against)Related Words duel, joust; bang, bash, bat, batter, beat, belt, bludgeon, bop, buffet, clobber, hammer, hit, knock, paste, pound, punch, slam, slap, slog, slug, smack, smite, sock, strike, swat, swipe, thump, thwack, wallop, whack, whale; box, spar; brawl; grapple, scuffle, tussle, wrestle; bump, collideNear Antonyms give up, submit, surrender

4 to strive to reduce or eliminate we must battle hunger and poverty wherever they exist Synonyms fight, combat, contend (with), counter, oppose, oppugnRelated Words baffle, checkmate, foil, frustrate, resist, thwart, withstand; confront, defy, face, meetNear Antonyms abide, bear, endure, suffer; advocate, back, champion, endorse (also indorse), support, upholdAntonyms advance, cultivate, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote